Paint applicator



Oct. 22, 1957 F. J. woon, JR

PAINTV APPLICATOR f Filed March 30, 1954 IIIII..lllllllilllllll .511

United States Patent f PAINT APPLICATOR Frederick J. Wood, Jr., Lancaster, N. Y.

Application March 30, 1954, Serial No. 419,703

Claims. (Cl. 15-210) This invention relates to improvements in paint applicators, and more particularly to an applicator which is highly useful and intended especially for applying paint to the margin of a surface which is delimited by a second surface extending generally normally therefrom.

In painting the interior at walls of a building, whether by brush or roller, it is usually a laborious, vexing and time consuming job to paint a clear-cut, even borderline for the wall being painted along the corner formed by mergence of such wall with another wall, ceiling, window frame, wainscoting, baseboard or similar offset surface. For good appearance it is desirable, of course, to form a sharp edge or outline for the paint on the one surface along the corner with the other surface, where such surfaces are to have contrasting colors, but this type of line of demarcation between colors is ditcult to achieve by hand brushing or by techniques presently available or known.

It is accordingly the primary object of the present invention to provide a paint applicator which will form a clearcut, even borderline or edge for the paint on one of two generally normal surfaces and running close to the corner therebetween.

Another important object is to provide such a paint` applicator which is easy to use to define rapidly such an even paint borderline.

Another object is to provide such a paint applicator which in use eliminates dependency on the skill, experienceor steady hand of the operator to form the even paint borderline.

A further object is to provide such a paint applicator which is easy to clean up, preparatory to either storage or use with another color. A

A further aim is to provide such an applicator which is simple in construction, sturdy and of long life, and inexpensive to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings in which:V

Fig. l is an elevational view of the rear of the paintv applicator embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is an elevational View of the left side thereof as viewed in Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional View thereof and taken on line 3 3, Fig. l.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view thereof and taken on line 4 4, Fig. l.

Fig. 5 is a perspective View of the rear of the removable pad forming part of my applicator.

In accordance with my invention, the paint applicator shown comprises a carriage in the form of a flat rectangular frame plate from the rear sfide of which a handle 11 extends outwardly. The handle 11 is preferably of rectangular shape and is arranged centrally and toward the bottom of the plate 10 as shown. In use the operator of the device Would grasp the opposite vertical sides of the handle 11 between his fingers. These vertical sides may be serrated if desired to provide a better hold.

2,810,148 Patented Oct. 22,1957

ICC

A roller 12 is arranged adjacent each upper corner of the frame plate 10 and these rollers are so located that the crests thereof are slightly above the top edge of the frame plate and an imaginary horizontal tangential straight line contacting these crests is parallel to the said top edge. The rollers 12 are preferably relatively thin in an axial direction and may be variously mounted on the frame plate 10. As shown each roller 12 has a central boss or hub 13 extending outwardly from each of its opposite sides and is rotatably mounted on a stationary horizontal axle 14 extending at right angles to the frame plate 10. Embracing the rear side of each roller is a U-shaped bracket 15 so as to form jointly with the frame plate 10 an open ended box in which the roller is arranged. The axle 14 is shown as having one end 16 rounded and in assembly is passed through a hole 18 in the frame plate lththrough a central hole in the corresponding roller 12 until the rounded end 16 seats in al heini-spherical recess 19 provided in the cross-part of the bracket 15. The length of the axle 14 is such that its outer end is substantially flush with the front face of the frame plate 1t). Preferably the axle 14 is cemented in the hole 18.

The frame plate 10, handle 11 which is shown as being hollow, and brackets 15 are preferably molded of a rigid plastic material as a one-piece part, although, of course, this is not essential.

Removably arranged on the front side of the carriage above described is the pad shown in Fig. 5. This pad is shown as comprising a rectangular rigid backing plate 20 preferably made of thin sheet metal and formed to provide a channel flange 21 along each vertical side thereof and extending from the bottom of the backing plate upwardly and terminating short of the upper edge thereof by a distance equal to the vertical height of the bracrzet 15. The backing plate 2t? has the rectangular shape of the frame plate 10 and is applied to the front face thereof by sliding the channel flanges 21 over the vertical marginal edge portions of the frame plate upwardly from the bottom thereof until the upper end faces .of these flanges engage the lower faces of the brackets 15 as shown in Fig. l. If desired to assure the frictional engagement of the channels 15 with the frame plate 10, the latter may be formed on its rear face with a roughened surface along that portion which underlies the free flanges of these channels.

Cernented to the front face of rigid backing 2) is a paintV absorbent material, preferably a patch of mohair fabric having a fabric backing 22 from which bristles or fibers 23 extend outwardly.

Assinning that the wall W is to be edged adjacent its corner with the ceiling C, the applicator with the pad applied thereto is dipped into, say, a, tray of paint, care being exercised so that only the bristles 23 are wetted with paintMQAny kexcess of .paint iswiped off and it is importantA tothe successful, operation/of the applicator that no paint is on the peripheries of the rollers 12. The applicator is then placed against the Wall W with the rollers or wheels 12 against the ceiling. The operator then rolls the applicator laterally, applying a light even pressure and making a long stroke. In doing this the applicator is guided by the rolling engagement of the rollers 12 with the ceiling C to form an even clear cut borderline or edge for the paint on the wall W. It will be noted that the bristles along the top edge of the pad are flattened slightly so as to extend upwardly toward the corner between the ceiling C and wall W. In a plastered room the corner between a ceiling and wall is not usually sharp but rather has a slightly rounded form in the nature of a llet. It has been found that the edge or borderline of the painted area formed by use of my 4applicator is smooth and even and as close to the corner 3 as would be desired. Moreover, the applicator is extremely easy and rapid to use.

In order to clean paint from the mohair the pad is removed from the applicator by sliding the pad olf the frame plate, and cleaning it with paint thinner or other suitable paint solvent. In this connection, the cement employed for holding the mohair fabric backing 22 to the backing plate 20, as will as the material of this plate, is selected so as to be chemically inert to the paint solvent.

From the actual experience, a paint applicator embodying my invention as above described has been found to be highly successful.

I claim:

1. A paint applicator for edging the paint applied to one of two generally normal surfaces which form an inside angle, comprising a carriage including a frame having a at side, a handle on said frame and a pair of spaced rollers on the side of said frame opposite from said at side thereof, said rollers being arranged to turn about generally parallel axes transverse to said flat side and having portions projecting outwardly beyond the marginal edge of said frame, and a paint absorbent pad arranged on said flat side and having the edge of a marginal portion lying in a transverse plane which touches the crests of the projecting portions of said rollers and extends substantially perpendicularly to said flat side, whereby said edge of said pad is adapted to define a painted borderline on one of said surfaces and which is in substantial transverse alinernent with an imaginary straight line tangent to and connecting said crests when said pad engages said one of said surfaces while said rollers roll on the other of said surfaces.

2. A paint applicator for edging the paint applied to one of two generally normal surfaces which form an inside angle, comprising a carriage including a frame of rectangular outline and having a at side and an opposite side, a handle on said opposite side and a pair of spaced rollers mounted on said opposite side and arranged to turn about generally parallel axes transverse to said flat side, said rollers being disposed severally adjacent two adjacent corners of said frame and having portions projecting outwardly beyond the marginal edge of said frame connecting said corners, and a paint absorbent pad arranged on said flat side and having a straight edge lying in a transverse plane which touches the crests of the projecting portions of said rollers and extends substantially perpendieularly to said flat side, whereby said edge of said pad is adapted to define a painted borderline on one of said sufaces closely adjacent the other of said surfaces when said pad engages said one of said surfaces while said rollers roll on said other of said surfaces.

3. A paint applicator for edging the paint applied to one of two generally normal surfaces which form an inside corner, comprising a frame having a fiat side, a paint absorbent pad aranged on said at side, a handle on the opposite side of said frame, a pair of spaced rollers on said opposite side, and means mounting said rollers on said frame adjacent one margin of said pad to turn about generally parallel axes transverse to said flat side so that when said pad engages one of said surfaces, while said rollers roll on the other of said surfaces, the borderline of the paint applied by said pad is closely adjacent said corner.

4. A paint applicator for edging the paint applied to one of two generally normal surfaces which form an inside eorner, comprising a frame having a ilat side and opposite parallel edges, a paint absorbent pad removably arranged on said frame on said flat side thereof and including a backing having channels along opposite sides slidably embracing said edges, a pair of abutments on the opposite side of said frame one adjacent the corresponding end of each of said edges and abutted by the corresponding end of one of said channels thereby to limit the operative position of said pad when slid onto said frame, a handle on said opposite side of said frame, and a pair of spaced rollers mounted on said frame on said opposite side thereof to turn about generally parallel axes transverse to said flat side and so arranged adjacent a margin of said pad which extends between said channels that when said pad engages one of said surfaces, while said rollers roll on the other of said surfaces, the borderline of the paint applied by said pad is closely adjacent said corner.

5. A paint applicator' for edging paint applied to one of two generally normal surfaces which form an inside corner, comprising a frame plate of rectangular outline and having a flat front side, a paint absorbent pad of rectangular outline removably arranged on said frame plate on said front side thereof and including a backing having channels along opposite edges and on the rear side thereof which slidably embrace a pair of opposite marginal edges of said frame plate, the channels terminating short of one edge of said pad, a handle on said rear side of said frame plate, a pair of spaced rollers arranged n on said rear side of said fratrie plate one adjacent each of the ends of said one edge of said pad, and means for mounting each of said rollers for rotation about generally parallel axes extending perpendicularly to said frame plate and including a U-shaped bracket connected to said frame plate and an axle mounted at opposite ends on said frame plate and bracket, the shortened ends of said channels abutting said brackets thereby to limit the operative position of said pad when slid onto said frame, whereby said one edge of said pad is in substantial transverse alignment with an imaginary straight line tangent to said rollers and said pad is adapted to engage one of said surfaces while said rollers roll on the other of said surfaces so that the borderline of the paint applied by said pad is closely adjacent said corner.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,682,325 DAmico Aug. 28, 1928 1,835,822 Stutzenstein Dec. 8, 1931 2,066,829 Erickson Jan. 5, 1937 2,156,270 Smith May 2, 1939 2,257,316 Votaw et al. Sept. 30, 1941 2,660,791 Howell et al. Dec. 1, 1953 

